#paws act

[beardedmrbean]

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[thepastisalreadywritten]

Loyal Service Dog Gets A Special Send-Off On Her Final Flight Home

9 February 2023

Kaya helped her owner, a Marine Corps veteran, through PTSD and suicidal thoughts, and even inspired a national law to help veterans get service dogs.

When Kaya was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Cole flew her home — and the airline gave her a beautiful special tribute on her final flight

Service dogs are invaluable companions for so many people, especially veterans. The benefits are great: dogs provide therapeutic companionship that can be used to treat conditions like PTSD.

For many vets who have service dogs, these dogs become their best friends in the world.

For Marine Corps veteran Cole Lyle, that dog was Kaya, a German Shepherd. Kaya was by his side all the time, even on hundreds of airline flights.

Sadly, Kaya took her final flight recently — but was given an incredible honor on board.

Cole, from North Texas, came home after a six-year tour in Afghanistan and was suffering from PTSD.

“I tried pills and tried therapy. The pills just made things worse. I spiraled down and almost became a veteran suicide statistic,” the veteran told WFAA.

A fellow veteran suggested he try getting a service dog. Cole brought home Kaya, the runt of her litter, and spent $10,000 of his own money to have her trained as a service dog.

It was well worth it: Kaya was trained to wake the vet up from nightmares and to stop anxiety attacks.

Cole said the dog made a huge difference on his condition and even credited her with stopping his suicidal thoughts.

“A dog can be a powerful thing to keep you around,” he said. “If you get to that point, you look down at the dog and say, well, I can’t leave the dog. The dog would miss me.”

Kaya not only made an impact on Cole’s life but for veterans around the country.

After Cole became an advisor to the US Senate on veterans policies, the pair lobbied for the PAWS Act, which provides canine training for veterans with PTSD.

That act was passed into law on August 2022, receiving bipartisan support.

Kaya lived quite a life: she met many politicians and celebrities, walked at graduation with Cole, and accompanied the vet on hundreds of flights around the country.

But sadly, a tumor under her tongue metastasized in January and took a toll on her quality of life. Cole didn’t want to see his loyal friend suffer.

“I didn’t want her to be in pain and suffer after all the pain and suffering that she stopped,” Cole told WFAA.

Realizing the end was near, he took her on one last flight, from Virginia to their home in Texas.

“She’s a Texas girl and I didn’t want her to die in Virginia,” Cole explained.

But it wasn’t just any ordinary flight. They flew on Southwest Airlines, with whom they had traveled over 250 times.

After finding out that this was Kaya’s final journey, the airline did something inspiring to mark the occasion.

On the February 2 flight, the pilot got on the intercom and made a special announcement.

He introduced Kaya, explaining to the travellers her work as a service dog and her work to get the PAWS Act passed.

He then explained he had the “solemn honor of what will be her last flight, as she goes home to rest where she was born and first met Cole.”

“On behalf of Southwest Airlines, your two veterans up front, we thank both Maya and Cole… for their service.”

In a video shared by Southwest Airlines, you can see Kaya get a round of applause from the plane’s passengers — and Kaya, who had been laying down, suddenly lifts her head up.

After the two arrived in Dallas, the airline also provided a cart for Kaya’s mobility issues.

A few days later, Cole announced that Kaya had died.

Rest in peace, Kaya. You may be gone but you made a huge difference in the world and were a best friend to Cole. We hope you’re at peace now.

https://thespacedogs.com/loyal-service-dog-gets-a-special-send-off-on-her-final-flight-home/

Texas service dog with 250+ Southwest flights takes her final trip home

9 February 2023

Kaya, a German Shepherd with years of service, went home to Texas last week.

[moderndogadoption]

Can you love and support a bill that protects dogs from domestic violence? Right now New Media is rallying 24 States and showing the love.

The bill - it would make it a stalking-related crime to threaten pets of domestic violence victims, and also create a federal grant to equip shelters to house them H.R. 1258, the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, is a bipartisan effort that would protect dogs by making more domestic violence shelters pet-friendly, if we show our support! Congresswomen Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Ileana Ros-Lehitnen (R-FL) recently introduced the bill to protect these vulnerable pets. “This isolating experience [of domestic violence] is made even worse for those who fear for the safety of their pet. Most pet lovers consider their beloved dog or cat a part of their family. No one should have to make the choice between leaving an abusive situation and ensuring their pet's safety,” said Rep. Clark. A real life story and a mirror of countless others There are many examples of people who need this law, but one is college professor, Jasmin Rivera. When she was confronted by an abusive partner, the choice of leaving her two Shih Tzus, Tony and Teresa, behind was simply unthinkable. For Jasmin and many like her, the possibility of leaving beloved pets in a dangerous environment is not an option. “I looked down and I see them, and they’re shaking,” Rivera told RH Reality Check. After an assault resulted in a broken ankle, Jasmin knew she had to do something. In distress, she luckily found the one and only shelter in NYC that would accept her and her dogs. “The minute I got into the [Safe Haven] living room, I was like,‘Oh my God, this is a blessing.”

Jasmin in Safe Haven Photo credit: DNAinfo/Gustavo Solis

Fantasy coming to life Can you imagine walking into one such program, the Urban Women’s Safe Haven, the first co-sheltering program in NYC, and see a dog park, a gated playground located safely behind the shelter’s premises, along with pet food and pet welcome packs? It was an invaluable refuge for Jasmin and her two dogs, and this is what we could have across the country! Now we’re talking! A growing number of shelters such as Safe Haven, as well as Anne Marie’s in Minnesota and Beacon of Hope in Indiana have been inspiring the country by offering refuge to those at risk with dogs in tow. Jasmin in the Safe Haven Playground Photo credit: DNAinfo/Gustavo Solis

In these welcoming places, people in need (and often with children) stay together with their pets – a true-life saver considering many victims of domestic violence simply won’t leave their dogs behind, opting to stay in a car or risk their own safety rather than see their pets harmed or killed. The federal government takes notice In fact, over two-dozen states currently have taken it upon themselves to pass laws that give pets the right to enter domestic violence shelters. Currently, only a mere 3% accept them. The solution We can start by paying forward Teresa, Tony and Jasmin’s experience. Now is the time to act. If you agree with Rep. Clark and Rep. Ros-Lehitnen, we urge you to email letters of support to your local congressional representative and express how important H.R. 1258, the PAWS Act, is to you. Jasmin and her dogs have benefitted, now is the time for thousands of others as well! To find your representative, you can simply click this site and after typing in your zip code, all of your rep’s info will appear: http://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep

[k9kesi]

A message from Senator Bruce Tarr’s Communications Director, Troy Wall:

Dear Animal Advocate- Thank you so much for your interest in the PAWS Act that Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr has filed. At this very moment we have 52 state legislators co-sponsoring the bill, however, that is only ¼ of the membership. If you live in Massachusetts or have ties to Massachusetts, please contact your state senator or state representative and urge them to co-sponsor the PAWS Act authored by Senator Tarr. We are nearing the deadline of co-sponsorship, which is this Tuesday, October 15th at 5:00pm. After that, co-sponsorship is closed. The more legislators who sponsor the bill, the greater success it will have. If you live outside of Massachusetts please continue to write, post, email, and share regarding the PAWS Act. The more awareness generated, the longer the window to get something passed. If the PAWS Act were to pass, it could serve as a model for other states and possibly the nation. Thank you once again. For periodic updates, please continue to follow this page, Senate Bruce Tarr’s Fan Page, my Twitter account @TroyRWall and Senator Tarr’s Twitter account @SenBruceTarr. Everyone please have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend, and keep up the great work! Together we can make the PAWS Act a reality! Warm regards, -Troy